You Win or You Die: 10 Alternative Board Games

March 30 is International Tabletop Day, a celebration of board games. But for geeks this weekend marks something even more important: The return of Game of Thrones. The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros make up one game in our collection of contests based upon The Walking Dead, monster movies, Star Trek, and other pillars of nerd-dom.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition

Anyone who's familiar with HBO's hit show Game of Thrones or George R.R. Martin's series of fantasy novels on which it's based, and craves the Iron Throne themselves, should add this enthralling game to their collection. But be warned, honor has no place in Westeros, and the amount of backstabbing in a typical game could very well ruin friendships.

On its surface, A Game of Thrones is a strategy game akin to Risk. But the game uses no dice and instead relies on a mix of diplomacy and deception to decide a player's fate. Armies come at a premium, so combat is often a last resort, and even then it only occurs with the promise of an ally's support. When played with all 6 players, which I cannot recommend highly enough, the game is addictive and not for the faint of heart.

Pros: Captures the spirit of the source material. Unique game mechanics offer stunning victories and soul-crushing defeats. The release of additional expansions promise years of gameplay to come.

Cons: The 30-page rule book can feel daunting, and you'll refer to it constantly during your first few games. Not always easy to find 5 people with 4 hours to kill. Can cause hurt feelings (after all, when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die).

King of Tokyo

King of Tokyo

King of Tokyo is a fast-paced giant monster brawl from the creator of Magic: The Gathering, Richard Garfield. Perfect for parties, this game sees players pick one of six muscle-bound beasties for a classic king of the hill fight for the city. Sixty-six specialty cards further enhance gameplay. What else would you expect from the Godfather of collectible card games?

Even more important than the cards are the dice—6 enormous dice that can only be rolled with two hands—which make up the backbone of the game. They determine damage dealt, health received, energy to spend, and victory (read: destruction) points.

The game offers players lots of flexibility, so they can choose to apply as much or as little strategy as they'd like, either biding their time and building up their creature's abilities or rushing in headfirst for a rock'em, sock'em battle royale. There's really no right or wrong way to play, and because games typically last about 30 minutes, it's fun and easy to experiment.